Welcome Home
by cjgwilliams
Summary: Coming home from a long day, Tobias has a less than stellar welcome home.


Hi everyone! This is a little different for me but I felt like trying something new. I hope it works! Major, major thanks to the bestest beta, Eunice 339. Enjoy!

xXx

The warm glow emanating from the front doors of the luxury condo building seemed welcoming as the Uber driver pulled up to them, but to an exhausted Tobias Eaton, they still felt like they were a million miles away. He closed the door to the car, pulling his hood over his head to guard against the chill, and adjusted the bags he carried. He had easily piled his gym bag over his shoulder and then slung his messenger bag cross-wise over his torso, but after the long day he'd had the weight of the two bags felt like they were crushing him. A small voice in his head whispered, _you could have taken Marcus' car_. Tobias pushed the thought aside. He knew he would eventually have to break down and drive it, but he wasn't quite ready for that yet. It felt like it was already enough that he'd agreed to stay at the condo while Marcus was in London. It saved him on commuting time, for sure, but their recently reestablished relationship was still new enough that Tobias was wary of accepting too much from his father.

As he trudged towards the doors, he mentally went over his schedule for the next day. Alarm at 4:30 AM followed by an hour-long run either on the treadmill in the downstairs gym or outside if the weather cooperated. Then he'd prep his breakfast and lunch to go and stuff it into his messenger bag along with his textbooks and his laptop. Amar would be here at 6 AM to take him to the FBI field office where they both worked. They'd practice hand-to-hand for an hour then shower and change. Tobias would be on the job at the security desk precisely at 7:30 AM. He'd work until 4 PM then would make his way over to the University of Illinois Chicago for his 5 PM computer lab. Afterward he'd study, grabbing whatever he could eat using his meal points, until his 7 PM class. By 9:30 PM, he'd head back here to collapse into bed, ready to do it all over again the next day. Tobias thanked the heavens that he didn't have his 7 AM class the next day so he could study a bit before it got too late.

It had been a brutal semester, so far, but Tobias was just three semesters away from finishing his PhD in criminal justice. The doctorate wasn't strictly necessary to join the FBI, but having it meant he could always teach if he didn't make it through Quantico. However, Tobias had every intention of making it. His workouts with his friend and mentor, Special Agent Amar Moore, were certainly helping to get him ready for the physically grueling eighteen weeks at the FBI Academy and his concentration in cyber crime was enough to help him with the mental aspects of training. Tobias was determined to be Special Agent Eaton by the time he turned twenty-eight.

The wind blew and Tobias shivered a little, grateful he'd grabbed the Sherpa-lined, black hooded jacket before he ran out of the condo this morning. The wind coming off the lake could be a little chilly this early in October. He reached into the pocket and frowned when he didn't immediately feel his keys. Sighing, he stuffed his hand into his jean pockets but didn't feel them there either. Groaning, he realized they were somewhere either in his messenger bag or his gym bag. A quick glance inside showed that the usual night desk clerk, Fernando, wasn't in sight. Pausing beside the cement planter next to the door, he pulled off his messenger bag and began rummaging around for the keys, his annoyance growing when he couldn't seem to put his hands on them.

"Ahem."

Tobias turned around at the sound of the voice behind him and looked at a woman, who was most likely in her early forties. Her pale, blonde hair was pulled back into an extreme French twist; her blue, wool coat immaculately pressed. She would have been beautiful if her face weren't being pulled into disapproving lines. "Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?" she asked, disdain dripping from her voice.

"Looking for my keys," Tobias replied, dismissing her and turning back to his search.

"You can't possibly be staying here?" she asked incredulously before responding to her own question. "No, I sincerely doubt that."

Sighing, Tobias looked back at her. He kept a tight hold on his temper; yelling at some snobby neighbor of his father's because he was exhausted wouldn't help. "I'm staying at my father's."

"And just who is your father?"

Tobias took a deep breath. "Marcus Eaton," he said slowly, hoping she'd recognize the name. It wasn't a huge building, only about twenty condos, so hopefully she'd know the name and go on about her business.

To his surprise, the blonde let out a sarcastic laugh. "Marcus Eaton is _your_ father?" she sneered, raking her eyes over him, taking in his black hooded jacket, jeans and sneakers, bags slung around his shoulders. "I highly doubt that."

The slight annoyance Tobias had been feeling started to percolate as the woman stared at him. Her gaze and tone told him all he needed to know. Even though Tobias' tan skin was definitely a couple of shades darker than Marcus', indicating his mixed heritage, Tobias knew he looked like his father – they had the same dark-blue eyes and similar build after all.

"Listen, lady, I don't mean to be rude, but I could care less about what you think right now. I'm tired and I just want to get inside and go to bed." Tobias deliberately turned his back to her and resumed his search, but she didn't seem to take the hint and leave. His movements became jerky while his vision was so clouded by his anger that he couldn't even see the keys, instead relying on his sense of touch to find them. It didn't happen often, but whenever someone expressed negativity about his mixed race, it boiled Tobias' blood. He redoubled the search for his keys and nearly crowed in triumph when he found them. "Look, I found my keys. Now, if you would kindly get out of my way so I can go inside." He had no desire to further exacerbate the issue with this woman and needed to get away from her before he said something he'd regret.

"What? You think I'm going to let a boy like _you_ just have free reign in my building? Why – I bet you'd steal anything that wasn't nailed down!" she sneered.

The word "boy" sizzled along Tobias' last nerve endings like hot grease in a frying pan. His hands clenched into fists so tightly he didn't even notice the keys were digging into his palm. "Look, I tried to be nice but accusing me of stealing when I haven't done anything wrong is going too far. Would you just get out of the way?" he growled.

"No." She reached into her purse for her cell phone and began to dial. Tobias rubbed his hand over his face as he tried to think of a way to get around the woman without having to physically move her aside. His eyes popped open and his jaw dropped when he realized who she was talking to.

"Yes, this is Jeanine Matthews at Erudite Towers. There's a man trying to break into my condominium building. Please send help." Then she rattled off the address and hung up.

"Did you just seriously call the cops?" he asked incredulously.

Frowning, she replaced her phone in her navy-blue bag. "You are clearly up to no good. We'll let the police sort this out."

Tobias shoved the keys in her face. "Look, lady, I told you, I found my keys and now I'm going inside, _to my home_." He started to pass her, but she moved so that she was blocking the door more. "Move," he growled.

"Absolutely not. We will wait for the police." She crossed her arms and stared at him.

Tobias considered his options and resigned himself to waiting for the cops. He knew damn well if he so much as breathed on the bitch wrong, he'd find himself accused of assault. Glancing over her shoulder at the empty desk, he wondered where the hell Fernando was.

It was barely four minutes later when the police car pulled up in front of the condos. Given the price of real estate here in the River North area, the police tended to answer quickly, Tobias thought bitterly. He watched as the two young cops, both around his age, approached them.

"Ma'am, what seems to be the problem?" the taller of the two officers asked. He had wavy, dark hair and his shiny nameplate read _Hayes_. The other officer - a shorter, stocky redhead - glared up at Tobias, his hand on his gun.

"I'm Jeanine Matthews and I live here in this building," she said, her voice full of self-importance. "This boy claims to be staying here, but I highly doubt it. He didn't have keys to the building and was acting extremely suspicious. He won't even answer my questions."

Again, the word "boy" grated over his nerves, but Tobias seethed more at her lies, especially when the taller officer's dark-green eyes trained on him. Tobias groaned inwardly as he read the look on the officer's face and realized he was not going to be able to clear this up quickly and easily. "So," Hayes drawled, "let's see your license."

Reaching slowly into his back pocket, Tobias pulled out his wallet and handed over his driver's license. "Officer, this has been a huge misunderstanding. I'm just trying to get up to my home and go to bed," he offered. "I don't even know this woman. I was looking for my keys when she came up and began harassing me."

The red-haired cop smirked and said, "Why don't you just let us sort this out, boy." Tobias gritted his teeth at the condescending tone in the cop's voice.

Officer Hayes looked at the license then back at Tobias. "Tobias Eaton, huh? This says Harvey, Illinois is your address. You're a little out of your element here, aren't you?"

Tobias' eyes narrowed. The suburb of Harvey was, unfortunately, one of Chicago's toughest, crime-ridden areas with a high unemployment rate. But for Tobias, it was home. He'd lived there in his grandparents' house since his parents split when he was nine. Now that his grandparents were gone and his mother was living in California, Tobias shared the place with his best friend, Zeke, and Zeke's girlfriend who was also Tobias' cousin, Shauna. Tobias knew he would sell the house once he graduated and got accepted into the academy, but for now, it was free housing for him and his friends. "As I told this woman," he cut his eyes to the blonde, "I'm staying in my father's penthouse while he is away."

"And who is your father?"

"Marcus Eaton."

Officer Hayes glanced at the woman. "Do you know Marcus Eaton, ma'am?"

"Yes, I do, and I sincerely doubt this is his son."

"What the hell?" Tobias burst out, unable to stop himself. "How would you know? You know nothing about my family!"

"I know enough," Jeanine shot back, her cold, gray eyes blazing with an irrational hatred. "Marcus is an intelligent, successful man. And you, well, just look at you!"

Officer Hayes stared at him. "Why don't we go ahead and call Mr. Eaton and verify what the boy says, hmm?"

Tobias' teeth clenched. "My father is in London."

"Well then," Hayes sneered, "that's just too bad for you. From what I can see, you're trespassing here." He took a step towards Tobias. "If you don't walk away, we're going to have to run you in."

Tobias' hand curled into a fist.

xXx

"Woohoo! We _killed_ it tonight!"

Tris laughed at Christina's enthusiasm as she drove them home, but Tris had to agree. "We totally did!"

They had just pulled off their largest party to date – an anniversary party for an extremely well connected investment banker and his wife. It was a coup for the two newest event coordinators of Tori Wu Events. As Tris smiled at Christina, she marveled at what a great team they made. If you'd told her two years ago when she first joined Tori Wu Events that not only would Christina be her partner but also her best friend, Tris would have laughed. They couldn't have been more different both in personality and physical features with Tris being a petite, blonde-haired, blue-gray eyed introvert to Christina's statuesque extrovert with dark-brown hair, eyes and skin. But it was their differences that made them an amazingly effective team. Tris was good at negotiating with vendors and keeping them on budget while Christina not only had the vision but also the organized soul of a brigadier general.

"And not only that, we will have a feature about the party in the Trib!" A reporter for the style section of the Chicago Tribune had chosen to feature Tori Wu Events as the hottest new event planning company in the Chicagoland area. With the permission of the hosts, the Tribune had been on hand to document their preparation.

"We are the best team ever." Christina shot Tris a fond look. "Who would have thought, right? Frenemies to BFFs! That'll be the title of our Pulitzer Prize winning book." Christina said, echoing Tris' thoughts.

"Oh, so now we're writing a book?" Tris asked, laughing again.

"Of course! We are featured planners in the Chicago Tribune," she teased. "We'll be expected to write a book! It'll be a bestseller. A treatise on life, love and parties."

Tris snorted. "I'd need to get a love life, first."

Christina cut a look to Tris out of the side of her eye. "Don't even go there. Al has a total crush on you _and_ isn't Robert still hanging around waiting for a second chance?"

Tris sighed a little. "I don't see Al that way. I know, I know," she said, cutting Christina off. "He's a nice guy, but we're just friends. And Robert," Tris sighed, "there just isn't the spark there used to be. Part of me will always love him, but we are better off broken up. Things change," she said, her voice trailing off.

Christina gave her a sympathetic look. "I know," she said softly. "I was lucky I wasn't dating anybody when Daddy died. I didn't have to deal with someone else like you did. That had to be tough, trying to deal with all that and a needy boyfriend."

Tris nodded, wanting to change the subject. "So, did Mr. Ashburn slip you an extra hundred, too?"

Allowing her friend a reprieve, Christina nodded. "Sure did. He was so thrilled that his wife was happy and surprised with our party. I have to admit, a surprise twentieth anniversary party is a really romantic idea."

"Yeah," a note of wistfulness entered Tris' voice. She would never tell Christina, but there was a part of her that wanted to call Robert and get back together with him, even though she didn't truly feel the same. Most of her friends were in relationships, including her brother, and recently she had been feeling lonely. Robert was familiar and familiar was comfortable. Tris hadn't called him yet because she knew, deep in her heart, that comfortable wasn't what she wanted.

Christina turned the car onto West Superior and frowned. Tris' building was at the end of the block and there was a police car parked in front. "Hey, check it out."

Tris looked up and frowned. Her parents had bought the condo at Erudite Towers when the building first opened a few years ago and she could not remember ever having a police car come out before. "Huh. That's weird."

Christina paused in the middle of the street. "You want to come back to my place? I can call Will and have him put sheets on the pull-out."

Tris laughed. "No, I'll be fine. I'm sure it's nothing."

With a dubious look, Christina pulled the car in front of the building. "Hey, isn't that your racist, bitch-of-a-neighbor?"

"Yeah," Tris said staring at the scene unfolding in the front of the building. Jeanine was standing in front of the doors, her arms crossed with a smirk on her face. The two cops had their backs to her, but Tris could clearly see the man they were confronting. "Hey, I know that guy. He's Marcus Eaton's son. What's his name?" Tris racked her brain and realized she had never heard it.

"Uh-oh. Looks like the Wicked Witch of West Superior is making trouble for him." Christina's tone was grim. She'd had a few run-ins with Jeanine Matthews – the snobby, arrogant woman who lived a floor below Tris.

"I have to help him." Tris said, unbuckling her seat belt.

"What're you going to do? You don't even know his name!"

Tris thought about the times she'd seen him before, the times she'd heard Marcus talking about him. Suddenly, she remembered seeing him leaving the building in a personalized Cubs jersey, his last name, Eaton, emblazoned over the number four. "I've got an idea," she said, reaching for the door.

"Hey, are you sure?" Christina's dark eyes were concerned. "We can go back to my place. Will won't mind."

Smiling, Tris reached over and squeezed her best friend's arm. "It'll be fine."

Still concerned, Christina relented, "Okay, but call me when you get into your condo."

"Will do!" With a final grin, Tris slid out of the car and walked towards the entrance. As she neared, she put a friendly but confused look on her face. "Hey, Four! Is everything okay? What's happening?"

All eyes turned to Tris, but she made sure she caught the dark-blue ones she's hoped to see. Marcus had the most amazing dark-blue eyes and he had passed those onto his son. On Marcus, they were interesting, but on his son, they were the most incredible eyes she'd ever seen. The younger Eaton certainly looked like his father – enough to tell that they were indeed related – but the son was infinitely more attractive than the father could ever be. She gave him a smile, willing him to play along.

"Nothing much." He glanced at the cops. "Just a little misunderstanding." Tobias wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but for some reason, the adorable blonde he'd seen around his dad's building was helping him out. He realized they'd never actually met, so she probably didn't know his name. He was surprised, though, that she knew the number of his personalized Cubs jersey.

The dark-haired cop turned to Tris, a frown marring his face. "You know him?"

"Of course! He lives in the penthouse with his dad, Marcus Eaton." Tris glanced at the nameplate. "Is there a problem, Officer Hayes?"

"There seems to be confusion as to whether or not he is allowed to be here. He didn't have his keys and doesn't have any proof that he lives at this address."

"Aren't those his keys in his hand?" Tris asked, and Tobias held them up and jingled them lightly.

The red-haired officer piped up. "Doesn't prove anything," he snorted.

Tris shrugged, tamping down on her own annoyance. "He's been here off and on since I moved into my parents' condo a couple of years ago and has been here full-time since his dad went to London last month." She was grateful she'd actually attended the September homeowner's association meeting. Marcus had announced he'd be spending the next three months in London as a guest lecturer at the London School of Economics and that his son would be staying there. Tris turned her gaze to Jeanine, whose smirk had turned into a scowl. "Don't you remember Marcus' announcement, Jeanine?" she asked innocently.

Jeanine shifted uncomfortably. "I wasn't sure this was actually his son," she said stiffly.

Tris gave a light laugh. "Well, of course, it is! He looks just like him."

Jeanine's scowl deepened. "I wasn't aware you were so close with the Eatons."

Tris shot a conspiratorial look at Tobias and shrugged. "We've met several times. In fact, I think I owe you a drink, don't I, Four?"

Tobias found himself relaxing. He wasn't sure why his gorgeous, blonde neighbor was helping him out, but he was more than willing to go along with it. "You sure do. I told you I could run faster than you," he said, allowing a teasing note to enter his voice.

"Lesson learned." Tris' eyes sparkled with mirth, delighted at their shared secret.

"Four?" Officer Hayes looked between Tris and Tobias. "That's not your name."

Tobias rolled his eyes. "It's a nickname, Officer," his voice was thick with derision.

The tone put Hayes' back up. "Well, still. There's the fact that your license doesn't have you listed here. Harvey sure as hell isn't River North." He held up Tobias' license as though it were some kind of conclusive evidence.

Tobias' momentary amusement vanished and his spine visibly stiffened as he gritted out, "I told you, I'm staying here while my father is in London. It's not required for me to change the address on my license for a temporary situation."

"Well, then you have no proof you belong here," Officer Hayes said smugly.

"Now, wait a minute," Tris interrupted. "This is crazy. I just confirmed his identity and we can wait for the night doorman to get back." She glanced inside, praying Fernando showed up soon. "He can vouch for him, too. Or we can call the management company. This is not fair."

Officer Hayes took a step towards Tris. "Are you interfering with an officer of the law, lady?"

Tobias also took a step forward. "Hey, back off her."

Hayes turned around, his green eyes blazing with anger. "Or what?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Tris could see the other officer's hand tighten on his weapon. Before she could say anything, the door behind Jeanine opened. They all turned to see Fernando, the regular night doorman, open the door and Tris let out a sigh of relief.

"Ms. Matthews, Ms. Prior, Mr. Eaton. Is there a problem?" Fernando's handsome face was deeply creased with concern.

"Tell these _officers_ ," Tris sneered the word, "that Mr. Eaton here is staying in his father's home."

Fernando looked confused. Glancing from the officers to Tobias then to Jeanine, he began to get an idea of what might have happened. "Of course. Officers, this is Tobias Eaton. His father, Marcus, owns the largest penthouse in the building. Mr. Eaton is on sabbatical to London and asked his son to watch over his penthouse." He stood a little taller. "If there is some sort of confusion, I'll be happy to contact the building manager."

"Yes, why don't we do that," Tris exclaimed cheerfully. "I suspect the manager would be quite distressed to find out how Tobias has been treated," she added. "If I remember correctly, Marcus was one of the original buyers, wasn't he, Tobias?" She glanced at him.

Tobias nodded. "My father bought before the building was actually finished. In fact, his company was involved in managing the funds for the designers of this building."

The red-haired cop shifted. "His company?"

"Northern Trust Corporation. My father is a director." Tobias said, continuing to hold Officer Hayes' gaze.

The redhead was now visibly uncomfortable. Northern Trust was one of the biggest financial corporations in Chicago. "We should get going," he mumbled to Officer Hayes.

Hayes continued staring at Tobias. "I'm not sure."

Fernando stepped further outside, still holding the door open. "Officers, there's no problem here. I can call the manager, have him reassure you and your on-duty sergeant, if necessary."

"Pete, come on," the red-haired cop's voice becoming more urgent.

Hayes looked over at him. "Drew—" he said sharply but stopped himself. It was becoming clear that the situation was spiraling, and with Tris and Fernando there, he wasn't sure he could maintain control of it to his satisfaction. It was probably best to cut his losses. With a final scowl, he shoved Tobias' license at him then turned to leave. "Move it, Drew," he snapped.

"You aren't just going to let this boy go on the word of these two, are you?" To emphasize her annoyance, Jeanine's fists rose onto her hips. "This is outrageous!"

Hayes shrugged at her. "Ms. Matthews, there's nothing else we can do here. While I agree there's a question as to the veracity of this man's story," he cut his eyes at Tobias, who glared at him in response, "we have two witnesses who are vouching for him."

"Some girl and the…the…help?" she asked aghast. Fernando frowned deeply and Tris balled her hand into a fist at Jeanine's jeering remarks. Tris didn't recall ever wanting to punch a person as much as she wanted to at that moment.

Hayes shrugged. "I suggest you contact the building owners. I hope you have a good day, ma'am"

Jeanine's jaw clenched as the cop shot a final, nasty glare at Tobias and walked to his car. Jeanine glared at the three others, turned on her heels and entered the lobby without so much as a backwards glance.

" _Puta_ ," Fernando mumbled then turned bright red as he realized Tobias and Tris were still standing there. Tobias nodded at Fernando and responded back in Spanish, making Tris wish she spoke the language. The words sounded exotic and sexy flowing out of Tobias' deep baritone voice. She shook herself, realizing it was hardly the time to admire the poor guy after what he'd just been through.

Holding the door open, Fernando ushered them inside. To his surprise, Jeanine was standing at the reception desk. "I need my mail, Fernando," she snapped.

"Of course, Ms. Matthews." Fernando hurried behind the desk and retrieved the mail for her, handing it over with a fake smile. She raked her gaze over Tris and Tobias who stood together, both leveling death glares at her. "I certainly will have a word with the managers regarding the people allowed to live here. Some just don't seem to know their place." Jeanine turned, glancing at Tobias and Tris one last time, and with a sniff, walked towards the elevators.

Tobias' hands were clenched into fists at his side, fury still roiling through his blood. He was not going to let that racist witch get away with this, but he had to think carefully about how to handle it. Stopping himself from going over to her, screaming at her, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Hey." Tobias turned sharply at hearing the cute blonde's voice to realize that she was still standing near him. "I'm really sorry about that," she added.

"Yeah, well, can't say it's the first time," he snapped sarcastically.

Tris nodded. "I get it. I just…felt like I should apologize. Not all of us are like that," she said pointedly. When he didn't answer, she sighed inwardly. She wished they'd met under better circumstances. Now she doubted he'd ever give her a chance. "Again, I'm really sorry. Good night."

Tobias reigned in his temper. She'd helped him; he shouldn't take his anger out on her. "Look," he said, pausing when she turned, "I appreciate your help," he said between clenched teeth.

Smiling at the bite in his tone, Tris nodded. "I can tell," she said, her voice a gentle tease. When his lips twitched slightly, she felt a little better. Her smiled faded. "I shouldn't have had to help."

"No, you shouldn't," Tobias winced at his harsh tone and forced himself to gentle it. "But you did. And, I do appreciate it."

"Well, I couldn't let that bitch get away with it. She's caused trouble for my best friend and her guy before. I couldn't let her do it to someone else." She paused then sighed. "I've watched my best friend deal with this kind of crap at work, in stores, and it burns me up every time. I may not be able to stop everyone, but I sure as hell can stop Jeanine." Tris looked up into his dark-blue eyes and felt her stomach flip at the intensity of his gaze. It was absolutely the wrong time, but she wished things were different. "I'm Tris Prior, by the way." She held her hand out.

Tobias looked at it for a second then took it. "Tobias Eaton." He had to admit her impassioned attitude was intriguing to him. She was honestly infuriated by the injustices she'd witnessed, which was rare since most people tended to turn a blind eye.

"Nice to finally meet you."

"Speaking of that," he said with a frown, "where did Four come from?"

"Oh, that," Tris laughed a little nervously. "I, uh, I've seen you around before. You have a personalized Cubs jersey I've admired." She cringed a little inside, hoping she didn't sound like some weird stalker.

To her relief, he nodded. "Oh, yeah." He took a deep breath, willing his shoulders to relax. "I've seen you around the building, too," he added. It occurred to him that she really was cute, with clear blue-gray eyes and a straight nose. Her straight blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but Tobias thought it would reach halfway down her back.

"I hoped you had," she said. "I was terrified you wouldn't get what I was doing, and I'd just make things worse for you."

"It was a smart move."

Tris smiled again, and this time, Tobias noted that it made her face light up. "Thanks." She glanced over at Jeanine. "Are you going to do something about #DoorStopJeanine?"

Tobias chuckled. "Did you just give Jeanine her own hashtag?"

Tris nodded and smirked, "Yeah, but I can't say out loud the others names I have for her. Too bad we didn't film it. We could've uploaded it to social media. That would've shown her."

"Yeah…I'll have to figure out the best approach, but this is not the end." His voice dropped a little, to almost a growl.

Even though his voice was menacing, Tris only nodded. "Those cops were assholes, too. I hope you're going to call their supervisor."

Now, Tobias smiled, a mean edge to it. "Oh, I have a plan for them."

Raising an eyebrow at the clear satisfaction in his tone, Tris asked, "Could you share it with me?"

"I work for the FBI," he said and this time, both Tris' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I'm going to let the Chicago PD rep on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, who happens to be a friend of mine, know about his little brethren's attitude. And, I think my Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Max, might take a bit of exception to it, as well."

Tris nodded, admiring him. "FBI…Wow! That ought to do it."

"Let's just say, Officer Hayes won't be having a good day tomorrow." Tobias' voice was filled with satisfaction.

"Don't forget his little toadie partner, Drew. I didn't catch the last name."

"Watts." Tobias added. "I made sure I remembered."

Tris laughed a little. "I wish I could be a fly on the wall when they find out they rousted an FBI agent."

By now, Tobias had relaxed enough to smile with her. "Not an agent, yet. I'm in security while I finish school. Then onto the Academy."

"I'm sure you'll be great," Tris said. "My dad thought about being an FBI agent, but he married my mom instead."

"What did he end up doing?"

"He was an executive vice president at an advertising agency when he died."

"I'm sorry," Tobias said gently. "What happened?"

"They were killed in a mass shooting while he and my mom were on a trip to Miami." Tris took in a shuddering breath at the stab of pain. It had been two years, but it still hurt. Tris knew it always would.

A light went off in Tobias' memory. "I heard about that. Actually, that's why I'm staying here. My dad was really shaken up after that and he got back in touch with me. We'd been estranged. He and I have been getting to know each other again and when he was asked to go to London, he offered the condo to me. He knew it was easier for me than driving back and forth to Harvey every day."

Tris was taken aback. "Wow, I'm not sure how to respond. I guess I like that something good came out of it."

Tobias gave a grim smile. "I wouldn't go so far as to say it's been all good."

Wincing at the reminder of Jeanine's horrible actions, Tris nodded. "Yeah, I guess not."

An uncomfortable silence descended between them. Tobias wanted to say more to her, but was at a loss for what to say. He was exhausted, hungry and above all, still frustrated. She'd just witnessed one of the most humiliating experiences he'd had in a while and it didn't help matters that he'd actually toyed with the idea of asking her out before this incident. He shuffled his feet a little, searching for something to say. "Well, I should get going," he said, cursing himself for his awkwardness.

"Um, that, uh, that offer for a drink still stands," Tris smiled shyly.

"I wish I could, but it's been kind of a long day," Tobias said. "I'm still a little…edgy," he finished lamely. As much as he wanted to spend more time with her, the incident with Jeanine had frayed his nerves and Tobias knew if he spent any more time with her, he'd screw it all up.

Tris flushed, her cheeks turning bright red. "Oh, sure, of course. I'll, uh, let you go now." Damn. Jeanine cost her a drink with the hottest guy she'd ever seen! Tris' anger returned in full force at the injustice of it all as she started to turn to the elevator.

"Hey, wait." Tobias touched her shoulder lightly. "I don't have class tomorrow. There's a restaurant about a block away that has a pretty decent steak." He shuffled his feet a little. "If you're interested in having dinner. With me, I mean." Inwardly he groaned at himself. _Smooth_ , he thought.

He was surprised when Tris' face lit up. "Yeah, that would be great. We just finished a party tonight, so I should be home by six tomorrow."

"I can do six," he said, his mood beginning to lighten. "I'll stop by your place and pick you up."

"It's a date," she murmured with a smile.

"After you," Tobias grinned, gesturing to the elevator. He pushed the button and the doors slid open silently.

As they stepped inside, Tris looked up at him. "Tobias?"

"Yeah, Tris?"

"Welcome to the building."


End file.
